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Hunting de 'Possum an' de Coon. 



A NEGRO COMEDY, 
IN ONE ACT AND TWO SCENES. 



BY SAM. T. SUTOR. 

LYNCHBURG, VA. 

i JUL 24 1894-' 
r V>V 

COPYRIGHTED ON THE 19ft OCTOBER, 1888. 



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LYNCHBURG, VA. . 

THE LYNN PRINTING COMPANY, 




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PROPERTIES ,^ * 



One live 'Possum or Coon. 

Two or more dogs, well trained for 'Possums. 

One tree with trick limb to bieak off. 

One cow horn, with mouthpiece for blowing. 

Two axes. 

Twenty fence rails. 

Two lanterns. 

One snre-fire horse pistol. 

One razor. 

One bottle cold tea. 



CAST. 

Colonel Eli Gitdar, who owns de fines' daug in de State. 

Major Ephraim Chickenlifter, who says he owns de 

fines' daug in de State. 
Clem Gitdar. 

Lige Chickenlifter. 

Bob, Pete, Bill and Silas, boys around the farm. 

Capt. Lee, (white face, all the rest black), who owns the 

plantation . 




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Hunting de 'Possum an' de Coon. 



SCENE i.— Country Road. 

Enter Eli, i R, with dog, singing, "Root Jordan Root, Root 
Jordan Root, I want to go to heaben when Idle to hear Jordan 
Root.'' Enter Ephriam, i L, with dog. 

Eph. Hello, Eli, whar yo gwine ? 

Eli. Ut-ut-ut-I'se gwine home now ; whar is yo' gwine ? 

Eph. I was dis gwine down to Bill Simmon's to see if he 
was gwine to take a little round tonight. 

Eli. Ut-ut-Yo' dis come an' go wi' me. Me an' de boys 
is gwine to take a big hunt tonight, an' I knows whar de big- 
ges kind of 'Possum is, case I see he tracks down on de branch 
dis maunin. 

Eph. Yas, I would like to go wid yo' an' de boys, but den, 
Bill he got some of de fines' old moonshine what yo ever did 
taste, an' I alius likes to have some along, in case of snake bite. 

Eli. I doan guess Bill is got much better snake medicine 
don dis, {pulls bottle out oj pocket) I got dis up in de mountins 
las' night, {laughs) got more of hit home. 

Eph. T>\x now ! Doan yo' know I was jis' wishin' I meet 
wi' somebody what had some good old moonshine, an' bless de 
L,awd, my wish hit done come true. 

Eli. Das all werry good fo' to wish, but when yo' wants a 
ting mighty hard, prayin' lays way over wishin' ebery time, 
hear me. 

E^h. Sho', I doan know so much about dat, I'se done bofe, 
an' gits as much by wishin' as I do by prayin'. 

Eli. Ut-ut ut-yo' doan pray de right way. Now let me tell 
yo' somfin ; De fines' pair of shoats I ebber had, I got by 
pravin' for. 

Eph. Yo' doan say so ! Tell me about hit. 

Eli. Hit was jis' fo' yars ago, come killin' time, an' I was 
monstrous hard up, done loss all my haugs wi' de cholera, an' 
dare was a white man live about a mile from me, what had de 
fines' lot of shoats dat yo' ever did see. Well. I wanted some 
of dem shoats monstrous hard, so I jis' gits on my knees an' 
prayed to de Lawd to send me a pair of dem shoats, but in de 
maunin when I look in de yard dare was no shoats dare. 

Eph. Yo' might a knowed dat widout lookin'. 

Eli. Ut-ut-dis yo' wait. So de nex' night I prayed agin for 
de Lawd to send me a pair of dem shoats, but in de maunin no 
shoats was dare yit 

Eph. Dis lak I tell yo'. Wishin' is de best. 

Eli. Dis yo' wait, I tell yo'. So de nex' night I jis' prayed 
to de Lawd to send me after dem shoats, an' in de maunin 



4 HUNTING DE 'POSSUNM AN 1 DE COON. 

I had two of dem shoats in de house, and de ole 'oman had 
done got de liar offen dem an' dey was all ready to cut up. 
{Laughs) He, haw, haw, 

Eph. Um-m-m. Dar, dat do settle hit, two shoats at once, 
um-m-m. Yas, I guess yo' is right, prayiti' is better den wishin. 
Two shoats at once, um-m-m. 

Eli. Yas, an' what you speck. Doan yo' know dat dat 
fool white man come up nex' day an' ax fool questions if I 
seed anything of he two shoats, lak as I was gwineter tell him 
about de Lawd sendin' me after 'em. 

Eph. Well, I better be goin', I feel kinder chilly standin' 
here so long. 

Eli. Dat's so, hit am kinder chilly, spose we take a small 
dose of dis snake medicine. {Hands bottle to Eph.) 

Eph. Doan care if I do. {Takes a dram.) Um, dat's mighty 
good licker. {Takes another drink ) 

Eli. Hoi' on dar nigger, yo' doan know what a long neck 
yo' is got no how. {Takes bottle from Eph. and takes a drink 
himself.) 

Eph. Hi ! I see yo' is still got dat same ole daug, he uster 
be a mighty good daug. 

Eli. Yas, an' he is yit. Whar yo' git dat daug yo' got ? 
Eph. White man gin him to me. 
Eli. What's he good fo' any how? 

Eph. He good fo' hunt moas anything, but he de fines' 
daug in de state on possum an' coons. 

Eli. Ut-ut-ut yo' is way off de fence now, case everybody 
knows dat my daug is de best dat ebber went in de woods on 
possum an' coons. 

Eph. Sho' you is way off, dat daug of mine can't be beat, 
yo' hear me. 

Eli. Here nigger, doan talk dat way, case dat's fool talk, 
case I can catch mo' possums in one night wid dat daug of 
mine dan you can in a week wid yourn. 

Eph. You's a fool nigger, you doan know what yo' talk 
about no how. 

Eli. Doan yo' call me fool nigger, case I'll bus you wide 
open if yo' fool wid me — deed I will. 

Eph. Buss who wide open ; buss who wide open. I'll smack 
yo' down if yo' fool wid me, nigger. 

Eli. Smack who down, who yo' goin to smack down any- 
how. 
Eph. You, dat's who. Yo' ole corn fed nigger yo. 
Eli. Don't crowd me nigger, don't crowd me, {drawing 
razor) or I'll cut your libber out— deed I will. 

Ei>h. Yo' dar come nigh me, {draws pistol) and I'll fill yo' 
foull of holes — deed I will. 

Eli. Yo' low down nigger yo', yo' no account no how. Yo' 
aint fit fo' a decent pusson to talk to no how, 



HUNTING DE 'POSSUM AN' DE) COON. 5 

Eph. Yo' ; yo', yo'. 

Eli. You's annuder. 

Eph. Yo' aint nuffin, yo' aint. 

Eli. You's annuder. 

Eph. You is de lowest 

Eli. You is an n udder. 

Eph. Down nigger 

Eli. You's an n udder. 

Eph. Dod rot your old black hide. 

Eli. You's annudder. 

Eph. Dont you ebber speak 

Eli. You's annudder. 

E+>h. To me any mo' do you' hear me {Puts pistol in his 
pocket and walks off R. I. ) 

Eli. You's annddder sar, You's annudder. 
{Looks around and finds Eph. has gone.) Dar, now datsjis like 
er nigger. {Puts razor away) don drink moas all my licker up 
an den raise sand wi' me, {takes a drink) I fix him yet, deed I 
will, jis let me cotch dat old nigger outen de woods some night, 
an' see if I doan fix him. Hi, guess I better be goin' home ; 
dem boys will soon be dar to take dat hunt. {Exit. Singing 
Root Jordan, Root, etc.) 



SCENE 2.— Deep Woods. 

Moonlight. Rail fence across stage at 3. Tree down C. 2 
Live 'Possum or Coon on trick limb of tree. Slow music. 
Horn heard in distance . Enter dogs and commence to bark. 
{Voices in distance and gradually growing nearer.) Hoop-ee. 
Talk to him ! Sick him / Good dog, etc., ad libitum. 

Enter Eli, G. L., back offence with axe. Clem, G. L., back 
offence with lantern. Bob, L., back offence with horn. Pete, 
L., back of fence. 

Enter Eph., C R., back of fence with axe. Lige, C. R., back 
offence with lantern. Bill, C. R., back of fence with horn. 
Silas, R., back offence. 

Eli. Darhe ! Dar he ! We done got him boys. 

Eph. No sah ! Yo' aint got him ! My daug treed fust, an' 
dat's my possum an' I'se gwinter hab him. 

Eli. You's a lie sah ! My daug treed fust, {to Pete) hole 
dat daug. I'se gwinter hab dat possum or bust. (Lays down 
axe and pulls off coat. ) 

Eph. Den you'l bust (to Bill), hole dat daug Bill. I'se 
gwineter see who gits dat possum. {Takes off coat.) 

Clem. Dat's our possum ! Clime dat tree dad an' fotch 
him down. 

Lige.You's a lie ! Dat's our possum, go fo' him dad ! 

Clem. Don't yo' call me a lie nigger ! 

Bill. Hit him Lige ! 

Bob. Bust him Clem ! 

Cries by Pete, Silas, Bob and Bill. Dat's our possum ! No 
it aint ! Our daug treed fust ! You's a fool? We's gwinter 
hab him, etc (In the midst of which Eli starts to climb tree.) 

Eph. Here ! Yo' nigger, come outen dat tree ! 

Eli. When I gits dat possum, an' not befo'. 

Eph. Lige, git dat ax' an' chop dat tree down. 

Eli. {Up in the tree.) Look a heah boy, doan yo' dar to 
chop dat tree. 

Eph. Go on sah ! Cut dat tree down ! 

Lige starts to cut tree, Clem grabs him and throws him down 
and beats him. General fight between all the boys. Eph. fires 
pistol at Eli. Limb breaks with Eli and possum. General 
scramble for possum which Eph. gets Eli draws razor and 
goes for Eph. Eph. starts to run but falls over the fence with 
Eli on top of him, and all hands climb on, and fall over the 
fence. Eli gets possum . 

Enter Capt. Lee, 1 R, 

Capt. L . Here ! Here ! What in thunder does all this 
mean. {All hands separate and climb back over fence. Eli 
with possum.) 



HUNTING DE 'POSSUM AN' DE COON. 

Eli. Doan care. I'se got de possum any how. 
Capt. Well, that was a nice mess. Niggers, dogs and possum 
all mixed up. {To Eph. and Eli). Here Ephraim, Eh, tell 
me what is the matter with you all. 

Eph. and Eli both together. My daug treed fust an dat is 
my possum. 

Capt . L. Never mind which dog treed first, give the possum 
to Bob. You know his father is too sick to hunt, and I know 
he would like a nice fat possum. {Eli hands possum to Bob.) 
Now you old men shake and make up, and before we separate 
for the night lets have that good old song, " Hole dat Possum 
Hard." 

"HOLD DAT POSSUM HARD." 

By Sutor. 

Come darkies all an' shout wid glee, 

Hold dat possum hard, 
Cotch dat possum up dat tree, 

Hold dat possum hard, 
Daug he bark an' den he howl, 

Hold dat possum hard, 
Niggers dey yell like ole screech owl, 
Hold dat posssum hard. 

CHORUS. 
Shout on yo' niggers, shout on I say, 
We done cotch dat possum, don't let he git away, 
Shout on vo' darkies, shout on I say, 
Hole dat possum, hole he hard, don't let he git away. 

Dance. 
Nigger he like dat possum meat, 

Hold dat possum hard, 
Roas' in de pan wid 'taters sweet, 

Hold dat possum hard, 
Chicken am good an' ham am fine, 

Hold dat possum hard, 
But possum meat jes suits my mind 
Hold dat possum hard.— Cho. 



CURTAIN. 



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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




